AffectedAnimals:
Horses.

Overview:
During warm weather, bot flies swarm around horses. These parasites, of the species Gasterophilus, lay numerous tiny white eggs on the haircoats of horses. Bot eggs are not only aesthetically unpleasing, but once they have hatched into larvae, they also may cause the horse pain and irritation in the mouth. Adult flies that have developed from larvae may also cause various gastrointestinal problems.

Horses infected by bots often develop no clinical signs of disease. There must usually be a large number of bot eggs present before the animal becomes sick from the infection. Deworming treatments are very successful in treating severe cases of infection, and there are several effective tools for removing the eggs from the hair.